Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, will chair the group, while Troy Newman of Operation Rescue will serve as one of its 10 co-chairs.

Newman and other Operation Rescue officials coordinated a “sting” last year against Planned Parenthood using deceptively edited undercover videos produced by a front group, Center for Medical Progress.

Two members of that group, David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, were indicted this week by a grand jury in Houston, Texas, for tampering with a governmental record after declining to indict Planned Parenthood.

Newman used the lesser-known Daleiden and his group to obscure Operation Rescue’s involvement in the videos.

But Cruz asked Newman to help steer abortion foes to his campaign, highlighting the anti-choice activist’s co-authorship of the 2000 book, “Their Blood Cries Out,” which calls for the execution of abortion providers.

“The United States government has abrogated its responsibility to properly deal with the blood-guilty,” wrote Newman, along with two other anti-abortion activists, Cheryl Sullenger and Father Frank Pavone. “This responsibility rightly involves executing convicted murderers, including abortionists, for their crimes in order to expunge bloodguilt from the land and people.”

Newman now says he rejects violence against abortion providers, but his book caused officials in Australia to deny him entry last year to take part in a “save the babies down under” event.

Newman has blamed legal abortion for the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the 9/11 terrorist attacks and drought in California.

Perkins has also warned that America will face God’s wrathful judgment for legal abortion and same-sex marriage.

“It is deeply disturbing that Sen. Ted Cruz referred to Troy Newman as a ‘true inspiration’ in his press release,” said Michael Keegan, president of People for the American Way. “The book by Newman referenced in Cruz’s release, Their Blood Cries Out, specifically calls for the government to execute abortion providers. This isn’t politics as usual — it’s a dangerous attempt to excuse and normalize threats and intimidation aimed at medical professionals. Cruz’s decision to embrace Troy Newman and other extremists is indefensible.”